PR and Digital Marketing Pro, BroadwayWorld.com Regional Director, New York University Alum

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

“Perseverance, secret of all triumphs”

“Perseverance, secret of all triumphs” – Victor Hugo

By Oliver Oliveros, editor-in-chief

When I finally got my Master’s Degree in Public Relations (PR) and Corporate Communication in May 2013 at New York University, where the first PR course was taught in the 1920s—a legacy that lured me to pursue higher education in New York—my family and friends admired me for my perseverance.

And they were spot on!

Persevering through two and a half years in graduate school with scarce resources: a partial Fulbright grant that shouldered only eight percent of my total tuition and fees; just enough private sponsorships that defrayed my living expenses; and a Philippine Peso checking account that was shrinking; was no mean feat.

But no pain, no gain, right?

I just had to keep my eyes on the prize, and finish what I started.

So when I was told the academic life story of Philippine Association of Medical Technologists’ (PAMET) pioneering president, Ismael “Mike” Jampayas, our cover subject for this issue, it rang a bell.

Coming from a family of public servants from Mawab, a third class municipality in the province of Compostela Valley (Davao), Mr. Jampayas paid his way through school. Even though he was working full time on work days and studying at night, he still made it to the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence at Long Island University, where he finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Master’s Degree in Microbiology. Consequently, such academic merit helped him get into Columbia University, an Ivy League school, where he completed his (second) Master’s Degree in Public Health in 1985.

Admirably, Mr. Jampayas’ story adds another element to Victor Hugo’s formula for success. Find out more about it on pages 8 and 9. CLICK HERE!

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